Any Known Blood by Lawrence Hill

In Any Known Blood, Langston Crane V sets out for Baltimore "to reconstruct the lives of his ancestors" after being fired from his speech writing job. He is the son of a white mother and a black father, who's a prominent member of the community. Once in Baltimore, Langston visits his estranged Aunt Mill and discovers that she has boxes of family documents dating way back. As he gathers the information he's after, he writes the narrative of his family history.

I adored this book. It's a sensational look at blacks in Canada and across the border in the eastern United States as they overcome adversity and fight for their rights and dignity. Starting in the present and working back through time, Langston learns about the first four Langston Cranes. I loved the structure that Hill used to tell the story. It's presented chronologically, but in reverse, just like if you'd be investigating your own family tree. He starts in the present with information about himself, then links it to his father, Langston Crane IV; which leads him to his grandfather, Langston Crane III; then his great-grandfather, Langston Crane II; and finally his great-great-grandfather, Langston Crane, the first.

You'd think with 5 of the characters named Langston Crane, it might get a little confusing. But it isn't at all. The book is masterfully constructed in that Hill introduces the historical sections by having Langston V uncovering a past event through another character or document. The reader is lead gently from present to past and back again. Hill leaves lots of clues about time period for the reader. It also helps that the present day sections are written in the first person while those in the past are written in the third person.

The book is filled with tons of great characters besides the five Langston Cranes. Yoyo was one of my favourites. His "people of pigment" article for the Toronto Times (pages 257-259) was hilarious. I was also quite fond of Aunt Mill. She was a tough one to like at first, but she eventually warmed up to Langston V and helped him uncover the past.

I've never been a history buff or even liked history that much, but I find that the more historical fiction I read, the more interesting it becomes. Because of this book, I was prompted to look up John Brown and his raid in Harper's Valley, Virginia (The first Langston Crane was supposedly one of Brown's men in the raid, fictionally of course). Fascinating stuff.

The "Acknowledgement" and "A Word About History" sections at the back of the book are both enlightening and well done. I appreciate the amount of research that goes into books with historical portions. Amazing.

I love coming across new words. I've actually heard this one before, but I didn't know what it was.
New word alert: Scrapple (from page 262) - According Wikipedia: Scrapple (Pennsylvania Dutch) is traditionally a mush of pork scraps and trimmings combined with cornmeal and flour, often buckwheat flour and spices.

I was surprised that this wasn't a new book from Hill, but an older one that was reissued. I guess his other books are becoming more popular after his success with The Book of Negroes. That book, by the way, is one of my all-time favourites ( my review).

Highly recommended.

For more information about this book, please visit the HarperCollins Canada website.

For more information about the author and her other books, please visit Lawrence Hill's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at HarperCollins Canada for this review copy.

Any Known Blood by Lawrence Hill, HarperCollins, ©1997. ISBN 9781554685080(Trade Paperback), 505p.

This is How by M.J. Hyland

In This is How, Patrick Oxtoby moves into a seaside boarding house after his relationship with his fiancée comes to an end. He's despondent about his life and the breakup and tries to turn things around. However, things don't get much better at his new location despite his concerted efforts. He's just not able to connect. On a particularly anger-filled and frustrating night, he discovers that one action performed in a fit of rage is all it takes to change his entire world.

I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. I enjoyed reading it, but didn't love it. Strangely, though, I had a hard time putting it down. I especially love books written in the first person and while I liked this one, it was a little too depressing for me. On the plus side, it was a quick read because the writing was straight forward with nothing overly complicated. The story, a study really, centred on Oxtoby's desolate life in which he felt he didn't belong. At first, it seemed laid back. However, the pace picked up after Patrick committed his crime and he awaited his fate.

Part of the problem was that I just didn't feel a connection with this character. I felt sorry for him, but he or his predicament didn't move me as I thought it should. I found his inability to accept what he had done confusing. Likewise with his insistence that he didn't mean to harm his housemate. I think it went beyond professing his innocence; he truly believed he'd done nothing wrong and had no clue as to why he was in jail.

I found the cover to be an odd choice for this novel. While the landscape definitely looks bleak, the man stooping down to pat the dog, makes me think of happy things and that things aren't as bad as they seem. Could they represent his hope or his intentions? Otherwise, I just can't see a connection.

Recommended. Even though I didn't love this book, it was a pretty good character study. I'd really like to read another by Hyland.

Want to read another review? Here's one from Jonita over at The Book Chick.

For more information about this book, please visit the HarperCollins Canada website.

For more information about the author and her other books, please visit M.J. Hyland's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at HarperCollins Canada for this review copy.

This is How by M.J. Hyland, HarperCollins, ©2009. ISBN 9781554685011(Trade Paperback), 376p.

B as in Beauty by Alberto Ferreras

In B as in Beauty, Beauty Maria Zavala, who simply goes by B, is a "woman of size" and is underappreciated because of it, especially at work. She feels helpless to change people's attitude towards her until she meets Madame Natasha Sokolov, a sort of "modern day fairy godmother" who shows B that inside she's the woman she's always wanted to be. With a few minor tweaks, there really is a beauty there waiting to get out. And once she accepts that, her life will get a whole lot better.

I loved this book. At times it was laugh-out-loud funny; at other times it was very touching. I loved that it was written in the first person and that B occasionally "talks" to the reader. It's like she's acknowledging me as an insider. She knows I'm watching her every move and doesn't mind. Ferreras has a wonderful sense of humour and shows it right at the beginning of the book with Chapter 0. The exchange between the two women police officers Elaine and Carol (page 302) had me in stitches. Too funny.

I loved that he doesn't mention how fat B is. She could have been a size 14 or a size 22. She could have weighed 150 or +250. Smart move. This way the story appeals to more women. I don't think the audience for this is limited to larger women, though. When it comes right down to it, I think many women could relate to B.

B was a great character. I really felt for her when she overheard her boss, Bonnie, talking about her while they were both in the restroom. Bonnie was a horrible, horrible woman and I couldn't wait until someone knocked her down a notch. Madame on the other hand was a darling and offered B tons of great advice. As part of B's "makeover", Madame introduced her to some pretty strange men all of whom preferred "women of size". [I love that term, so excuse me while I use it more than once].

I had to keep glancing at the cover because I couldn't believe this book was written by a man. Alberto Ferreras really knows women. From her inner most thoughts to her relationships with other women, he nailed it.

Favourite quotes (from pages 19, 262 and 263 respectively):

...no one in college had taught me how to survive in a snake pit, and that--I hate to tell you--should have been my number-one skill.

When you do something stupid but you don't know how stupid it is, you are somehow protected by your imbecility.

If you don't want people to know what you did, then don't do it.

Highly recommended. I hope Ferreras writes more books...that is if he can find the time between performing and filmmaking. Awesome first novel!

For more information about this book, please visit the Hachette Book Group website.

For more information about the author, please visit Alberto Ferreras's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Hachette Book Group for this review copy.

B as in Beauty: A Novel by Alberto Ferreras, Grand Central Publishing, ©2009. ISBN 9780446697897(Trade Paperback), 325p.

Odd Mom Out by Jane Porter

In Odd Mom Out, Marta Zinsser, an advertising executive, has recently moved to the Seattle area with her 10-year-old daughter, Eva. Marta soon finds out that she's not quite like the other mothers in the area. Much to the dismay of her daughter, who just wants to fit in, Marta likes to wear her combat boots rather than expensive heels like the other mothers. Marta is also rather fond of her Harley motorcycle while her new peers drive high-end luxury cars. In addition to being the "odd Mom out", Marta is so busy with her daughter and her career, she really hasn't had time for much of a social life. Eva is determined to change all of that and does everything a 10-year-old can do to push her mother out of her comfort zone and into their new surroundings.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was light, funny and an overall good read. Sure, parts of it were a bit unrealistic, but from my experience that's typical of the chick-lit genre. Porter created a nice balance in the story with some parts of it being a little predictable, while other parts were a nice surprise and turned out differently than I would have expected.

I admired Marta for wanting to be herself rather than changing to suit other people. However, I couldn't figure out if she was really happy and comfortable the way she was or just dressed down to dissuade attention from the opposite sex fearing hurt feelings again. One thing I didn't understand was her reaction when she first found out about Luke's career and social standing. She didn't like him because he was more successful than she was??? As for other characters, I really liked Eva. She could have come across as a meddling brat, but didn't. She had good intentions. As for Luke, Marta's love interest, I liked him, but I just couldn't quite figure him out. Some of his actions were odd.

As I mentioned above, I thought parts of it were unrealistic: Luke, didn't tell Marta anything about his business dealings even though she had contact with some of his colleagues; the love at first sight scenario where Marta just catches a glimpse of Luke while she's running and she's ready to give up her self-imposed celibacy (it's not like she's not 16); the school system where it seemed that parents did more work than the teacher. This last bit seemed way over the top and I wondered if the author was using satire or giving a social commentary on the ridiculousness of certain aspects of the school system.

Recommended if you're in the mood for a fluffy read. I think I have at least one more book of Porter's on my bookshelf and I'm looking forward to reading it.

For more information about this book, please visit the Hachette Book Group website.

For more information about the author and her other books, please visit Jane Porter's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Hachette Book Group for this review copy.

Odd Mom Out by Jane Porter, 5 Spot (Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group), ©2007. ISBN 9780446699235(Trade Paperback), 408p.

Library of the Dead by Glenn Cooper

In Library of the Dead, Will Piper, of the FBI, is called in to investigate the Doomsday serial murder case. It's extremely weird because each victim was notified of their impending death via postcard. Just as things get interesting and Piper seems to be hot on the trail, he's yanked off the case. He continues to investigate anyway and uncovers a bizarre, intricate and puzzling secret that dates back to the 8th century and a young boy with an extraordinary gift.

Awesome first novel! I devoured this book. It contained a wonderfully woven plot involving British monks in the 8th century (the year 777 to be exact), the British government (with Churchill as the Prime Minister) in the 1940s and Area 51 in present day, 2009. A couple of the scenes were a little harsh, but otherwise this book was easy to read and fast-paced. The gripping plot is full of intrigue and will leave you asking if free will exists or if our fates are predetermined.

It reminded me a little of novels by James Rollins in that it blends mystery with history. However, I found that Cooper's thriller contained less action. That's not to say it was boring. In fact, I really had a hard time putting it down. I got the shivers more than once when I realized what was happening and saw how the story was coming together. It was pretty scary. However, that was nothing compared to the extremely tense and unexpected ending. I was so involved in the story I didn't have time (or desire) to think about how this could conclude, so when it happened, my only words were "Oh. My. God".

Despite the fact that the story jumped around through the different time periods, it wasn't hard to follow at all. Cooper does a magnificent job of leading the reader from one time period to the next. It also helped that there was a date at the beginning of the chapters.

New Words Alert:
1) consigliore (page 210) (also spelled consigliere) means "counsellor" in Italian. Additionally, it has the specific connotation of "counselor to a Mafia boss".
2)tonsured (page 216): partially shaved head - a shaved patch on the crown of the head of a priest or monk in some religious orders.

This book was published in the United States as Secret of the Seventh Son.

Highly recommended. Cooper is definitely on my authors-to-watch list. I can't wait for the sequel, Book of Souls due out in March 2010.

For more information about this book, please visit the HarperCollins Canada website.

For more information about the author and other interesting stuff, please visit Glenn Cooper's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at HarperCollins Canada for this review copy.

Library of the Dead by Glenn Cooper, HarperCollins, ©2009. ISBN 9781554683093(Trade Paperback), 393p.

The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville

The Lieutenant focuses on the life of Lieutenant Daniel Rooke. As a young boy, he was obsessed with prime numbers and had an insatiable curiosity for science. Eventually he entered His Majesty's service, became an astronomer and, after some time, set sail to New South Wales with a ship of full of convicts. Once there, he befriended an Aboriginal child and through her got to know the Aboriginal people and their culture.

This was such a good book. It was based on real events (which are explained in the author's note at the end), but remains a work of fiction. I loved it from the very beginning. The story was accessible, interesting, heart-warming and tender. I was particularly fond of Rooke's work in astronomy and linguistics. His passion for these subjects were so thrilling, it was hard for me not to get caught up in it, too. When I got close to the end of the book, I had to put it down for and leave it for a few days. I generally have to do that when a book gets too emotional. No use me being a basket case for the rest of the day or not being able to sleep. Also, I really didn't want this book to end, so the little break prolonged it for me.

This book was written entirely from Rooke's point of view. While that was totally appropriate for this story, I couldn't help but wonder how the Aboriginal's felt about this "invasion". I would loved to have heard parts of this story told from their point of view.

While Rooke went to extraordinary efforts to learn the language, he still encountered some difficulties. When it says on page 149*: "He could hear it, but his mouth did not know how to make it.", I understood perfectly. I'm terribly inept at learning new languages. Part of the problem is that I have trouble replicating the sound that I hear.

As I said above, I was particularly interested in Rooke's astronomy work as well as his approach to learning the Aboriginal language. Because of this, two of my favourite quotes deal with those subjects. From pages 291* and 152* respectively.

The exquisite instruments of astronomy could add new stars to the sum of the world's knowledge, but it took a soul to wonder at the beauty of those already discovered.

But language was more than a list of words, more than a collection of fragments all jumbled together like a box of nuts and bolts. Language was a machine. To make it work, each part had to be understood in relation to all the other parts.

The author's note at the back explains the real events on which this book is based. Grenville notes, "This is a novel; it should not be mistaken for history". It's evident that a tremendous amount of research went into writing this book. I appreciate that a great deal.

New word alert: promontory = cape, headland, peninsula or outcrop.
"The forest-covered promontories seethed under gusts of wind that darkened the water to gunmetal grey." (page 219)*.

Highly recommended. I'd gladly read another book by Kate Grenville. Perhaps I'll look for a copy of The Secret River. It's won many awards and looks terrific.

Want to read another review? Here's Heather's over at Books and Quilts.

For more information about this book, please visit the HarperCollins Canada website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at HarperCollins Canada for this review copy.

The Lieutenant: A Novel by Kate Grenville, HarperCollins, ©2008. ISBN 9781554684328 (Uncorrected Proof), 302p.

*Please note: This book is an uncorrected proof edition. These quotes may or may not appear in the editions available to the general public. Also, the page numbers may not match other editions.

Short Girls by Bich Minh Nguyen

In Short Girls, Vietnamese-American sisters Van and Linny are estranged, but have agreed to travel to the home of their father to help him celebrate his new American citizenship. He is obsessed with his inventions, like the Luong Arm, designed to help short people, like his daughters and thinks citizenship will help him with his work. The novel takes us through the sisters' lives from careers and romances to life with their father, now deceased mother and other family members.

I enjoyed this novel. It wasn't at all what I was expecting. Even though it was mostly a serious book, there was more humour and the overall tone of the book was much more light-hearted than I had expected. The authors presents the story in two distinct voices. One for Van, the somewhat stuffy married lawyer. One of Linny, the less established and flighty sister. This approach outlined the differences in the sisters quite well and successfully brought forward the story.

I learned a bit about the Vietnamese culture despite the fact that the family is very Americanized. I loved the conflict that ensued as they struggled with their culture, family life and finding out who they really wanted to be. The other thing I really loved about the book was how the characters and their relationships with each other changed and grew over the course of the story. This was especially true of the relationship between Van and Linny.

Besides Van and Linny, I really enjoyed reading about their father, Mr. Luong. I think he equated being short with being inadequate somehow. His inventions were an attempt to change that. He was so passionate about them but really wasn't taken that seriously. It was nice to see that change (especially from his daughters) over the course of the novel.

If I'm not mistaken, there was one outstanding issue left unresolved in the book. To avoid exposing a spoiler, I'll just say that I found it refreshing to have an unknown at the end of the book, especially since it made sense to me to leaving the reader hanging.

I think this book would make a pretty good selection for book clubs. Many of the issues and themes (family relationships, estrangements, immigrants, inadequacies) would provide groups with plenty to discuss.

Recommended. I'd gladly read another book by this author.

For more information about this book, please visit the Penguin website.

For more information about the author and other interesting stuff, please visit Bich Minh Nguyen's website. Thanks to the back of the book, I now know her name is pronounced Bit Min Nwin.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Penguin for this review copy.

Short Girls: A Novel by Bich Minh Nguyen, Viking Penguin, ©2009. ISBN 9780670020812(Advance Uncorrected Proof), 292p.